Ghouls Just Wanna Have Fun!

It's typical to hear people exclaim, "We don't celebrate Hallowe'en here in Australia." Nevertheless, this spooky season I feel that something wicked this way comes.

Last year I tried my hand at pumpkin carving (and successfully too, for a newbie!).

My Jack Skellington impersonation.

This year I am injecting a little bit of creepy into my closet in honour of Hallowe'en. I've always been interested in the macabre and all things grim. It's nice to finally have some threads that channel this fascination of mine. The best part is that the spooktacular details of these garments are somewhat subtle, helping to avoid that, "Hey, I'm wearing a costume!" feeling. 

Here comes trouble: Although no longer available in this terrifically terrifying colour way (I mean, who doesn't love Frankenstein meets Leopard?!), the Deadly Dames Troublemaker dress comes in a ghostly white and blood-red gingham. The skully brooch just adds an extra morbid dimension and the glossy black belt helps to cinch in the waist. Retailing for $102 USD, the Troublemaker dress is available here. I recommend following the size chart closely as there is minimal stretch. I'm wearing my standard medium.

Man-eater: The Kinky Box skirt by Deadly Dames is a killer in every sense of the word.  Every gal needs to experience a 'Little Shop of Horrors' moment, and one can do so in this scary skirt. The colour is more of a vibrant, royal purple with a slight sheen to the fabric. I'm wearing a medium here, but given that the waist band sits so high, it's a little loose. The Kinky Box skirt comes in a range of spooky and sexy prints. Available here for $84. I've paired this skirt with the super sweet Bonsai Kitten pussy bow top. I'm wearing a size 10 to fit my 28 inch waist and 37 inch bust. This top is made from super comfortable jersey in a range of solid colours and prints, short and long sleeves. It now also comes in bolero form. Available here from $55 AUD. 

Along came a spider: The Heidi dress in a wicked web print. You grab this frightfully fabulous frock here (part of Pinup Girl Clothing's Goth Capsule Collection) for $98 USD, but beware: it's a limited edition print. The fit of this dress is a little tighter than my other Heidi dresses - I can't step into it like my others. I have to pull it over my head and even then, it's a contortion act to get it over my bust! Worth it, though. The details are divine and the cut is very flattering for many body shapes. 

Haunted house: My great-great Grandmother's run-down, abandoned house provided a perfect and eerie backdrop for my Spider Heidi photographs, plus it was nice to delve into a little family history.

Stay spooooky and Happy Hallowe'en! 

x

We're All Going on a Summer Holiday

I really should change the title of my blog to 'The Intermittent Dolly's Closet' given the amount of time that lapses between posts. That being said, I have been out of the country, visiting family and friends in Norway and making a short stop in Rome (which will feature in a later post!)

I thought I would share with you some of the items of clothing I packed and how they fared with all the travelling, especially the long haul flights. Then maybe some of the things that didn't. Le sigh!

Despite the fact that, for the last few years running, Norway has not experienced a particularly warm summer, I decided to overload on my nice summer dresses. With the incessant rain, needless to say I did not quite get the wear out of them that I intended. I did, however invest in a sweet pair of purple gumboots. Turns out the weather has been beautiful (35 degrees Celsius in Hokksund - what?!) since we arrived back in Australia. There were a few really warm and beautiful days in between the rain, but I mostly stuck to wearing jeans and jackets!

Mostly, the fabrics that were made from cotton and a thick cotton sateen travelled well. They required very little (if any) ironing, and survived a particularly rigorous rolling in order to fit in my suitcase. I often roll my clothes to pack them as this saves space. My rayon and crepe dresses... not so lucky. If you don't have access to an iron, I suggest leaving the lightweight finery at home. The odd light crease can be removed by hanging the garment in the bathroom area while taking a hot shower and letting the steam do its work (a tip from an aunt of mine), but anything more than that is going to take some work. And let's face it, you'd rather be spending that time sight-seeing, or purchasing some more lovely things for your wardrobe.

Trashy Diva's 'Walk in the Park' dress in the French Quarter print available here. I'm wearing a size 6 and it is comfortable snug. It comes with a thin belt and would suit short-waisted gals best. The Heddal Stave Church in Telemark is simply magnificent. It dates back to the 13th century and was built circa 1250.

The Heddal Stave Church. One of my favourite places in Norway. The beauty of the architecture always floors me. It's truly amazing how these old wooden structures have withstood the test of time. They are highly intricate and the craftsmanship of the artisans is breathtaking!

This dress required some ironing, but nothing major. It is the 'Revere Pleat' dress by Limb Clothing and it is available here. I received many compliments whilst wearing this dress. It's very flattering with the wide, folded collar and tie sash. The colours are super vivid. It also helps that this dress has sleeves - to help one brave the Norwegian summer!  I'm wearing a size 10 (uk sizing, probably equivalent to a US 6 or an Australian small) and it is a great fit. Here I am at Fossesholm Manor in Vestfossen. I believe it was built in the 1600s.

This is what I spent most of my Norwegian summer holiday wearing, thanks to the rain and cool weather:

Kidding. It was more like this:

Super duper cardis by Wheels and Dollbaby available here. Paired with jeans. Good ol' jeans - they never let me down!

Until next time, my fellow travellers!
Happy Sunday x

Enter the Dragon (Dress)

Summer may be gone here in the Great Southern Land, but the sunshine still lingers! After torrents of rain and flooding, the sun has broken through and it is a balmy (humid) 27 degrees. I can finally say, "See ya, sucker!" to the clouds and don an oriental-inspired dress (or three!).

I'm a hopeless romantic when it comes to Asian prints. Oriental-inspired fashion was very popular in the past; particularly in the 1940s and 1950s. Many fashion designers incorporated this look into their clothing, through elements such as frog clasps, mandarin collars, Asian-inspired prints and the much-loved cheongsam dress.  In a tale of East meets West, I would like to share some of my favourite summer dresses with an oriental flavour.

The truly amazing Trixie dress in Pearl Harbour print from Trashy Diva. This dress is made from a silky rayon fabric with a red halter tie and a full circle skirt to boot! The fabric is deliciously cool and lightweight: perfect for those sultry summer days. The fusion of Hawaiian and Asian designs in the print is nothing short of magnificent. This dress is discontinued on the Trashy Diva site, but eventually I found it here at Miss Bamboo (UK). Miss Bamboo is a great store for finding some culturally diverse, vintage-inspired gems! This dress has elasticised smocking at the back for comfort. I was able to size down from medium to small for this one. The Trixie dress has been released in a variety of prints and fabrics. Be sure to check out Trashy Diva to see the new colour ways.

Here we have the Garden Party dress in Vintage Dragon print by Dixiefried. This was an impulse purchase that I got here.  At first, I was concerned about the crossover straps at the front and elasticised neckline, but when the straps have been adjusted (much like bra straps), it fits comfortably and securely. There is very little stretch in this dress, so follow the size chart carefully! I believe (but could be wrong) that the crossover style of this dress was based on a dress Marilyn Monroe wore in 'The Seven Year Itch'. This dress also comes in white like Marilyn's and a cute bandanna print. The dragon print appeals to my Asian heritage, I guess. I'm wearing a size medium and it is a fairly snug, but not uncomfortable fit. It's made from a luxurious, heavyweight sateen.

Last, but not least, is the Frenchie Dress in a sweet oriental flower print. The dress has a gathered shelf bust and halter ties. Hidden lipstick pockets and a full circle skirt make this dress extra sweet. The colours are vibrant and contrast well with the metallic gold pattern throughout the print. Whilst this particular print is discontinued, the style is not, and it can be found on Bernie Dexter's website. There are also a few L and XL sizes left at Miss Bamboo on sale at present. I'm wearing a size medium and it is very fitted in the waist and bust. This dress is cotton and has zero stretch, so make sure you follow the size guide!

A back view of my Trashy Diva Trixie dress in Pearl Harbour print.

If you're thinking of incorporating a little Asian influence into your wardrobe, I'd say, "subukan ninyo!" (that's give it a go in Tagalog).

Happy Sunday x